Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 20, SUI-ZYM

WAR
Warwick, $t Mary’s, a very ftately edifice, an hofpital, a town-
^ilrre ^' ^ou^e freeftone, three charity fchools, and a noble
< bridge over the Avon. It has had feveral charters $ but
is governed at prefent by a mayor, I 2 brethren, 24 bur-
geffes, &c. It contains 5775 inhabitants 5 and gives
title of earl to the family of the Grevilles. W. Long.
I. 36. N. Lat. 52. 20.
WARWICKSHIRE, a county of England, 47
miles in length, by 30' in breadth. It is bounded at its
northern extremity by a point of Derbylhire ; on the
north-well by Staffordfhire ; on the north-eall by Lei-
delterfhire ; on the call by Northamptonfhire 5 on the
fouth-weft by Gloucefterlhire, and on the fouth-eaft by
Oxfordlhire. It is fituated partly in the diocefe of
Lichfield and Coventry, and partly in that of Wor-
cefter ; it contains four hundreds, and one liberty, one
city, 12 market towns, 158 parilhes ; fends fix mem¬
bers to parliament, and the population is computed at
208,190. The air is mild, pleafant, and healthy. The
river Avon divides the north part of it, or the Wood¬
lands, from the fouth, called the Feldon ; and the foil of
both is rich and fertile. Its produflions are corn, malt,
wood, wool, cheefe, coal, iron, and limelfone. The
chief rivers of this county are the Avon, Tame, and
Arrow. Warwick is the capital ; but Birmingham is
far fuperior to it in refpedf of trade and manufactures,
and even to any other town in England.
_ Birmingham, in this county, of which the account
•given in the order of the alphabet is very deficient, is
one of the molt remarkable towns in England, or per¬
haps in Europe, for the extent, variety, elegance, and
utility of its manufactures. This town was little di-
-ftinguilhed previous to the reign of Charles II. but
fince that period it continued to increafe in extent and
importance. In the year 1700, the number of Itreets
in Birmingham was only 30 ; they are now nearly 250.
In the year 1779 there were only three houfes on a par¬
ticular fpot, which in 1791 contained 833.
Birmingham owes its profperity and population to its
manufactures, which are in a great meafure the confe-
quence of its vicinity to coal, aided by the fpirited and
mdultnous exertions of a few individuals. It has been
Rated, and no doubt with great truth, that its profperity
is nv no fmall degree indebted to its exemption from the
reltriCtions of borough and corporate laws. To give
iome notion of the progrefs and extent of the manufac-
tures of this place, it may be mentioned that the late
Mr I ay lor, ^ who introduced gilt buttons, japanned,
,gilt, and pamted fnuff-boxes, with various articles of
manufacture in enamel, died in 1775, at the age of 64
having a mailed a fortune of 2oo,oool. In painting
fnuff-boxes at fo low a rate as one farthing each, one man
could gain 3I. ios. per week. The weekly produce of
Mr I ay lor s manufaflure of buttons amounted to 8ool.
befide many other valuable and curious produaions.
1 he manufaaory of Meffrs Boulton and Watt
which for its extent, variety, and importance, Rands
unrivalled in Europe, has been already noticed under
the word SOHO. The new coinage of copper, which is .
fo often defervedly admired, and the re-ftamped dollars
jre the produaions of the Soho manufaaory. The
.rft coining null was ereaed at Soho in 1-82. It is
ih7L imprOVed’ that eiSht machines driven by
^e Ream-engine, are going on at the fame time. Each
* th°* machlnes ftr*es ^m .70 to 84. pieces of the
[ 640 ]
WAS
fize of' a guinea per minute, and hence the whole eight Warwick
machines work off in one hour between 30,000 and (hire
4O5OQ-' coins. 1 he different proceffes of the machinery
are, 1. Rolling the maffes of copper into ftieets. 2. Roll¬
ing them through cylindrical Reel rollers. 3. Clipping
the pieces of copper for the dye. 4. Shaking the coin
in bags.. 5. Striking both fides of the coin, and then
milling it; after which it is difplaced, and another is
introduced, to be fubjeaed to the lame operation. But
the moft extraordinary contrivance of this ingenious
machinery is, that a precife account of every coin which
paffes through it is regularly kept, fo that it is impof-
lible to praaife fraud.
Befide the branches of induftry already mentioned,
there are manufaaories of guns, bayonets, and fwords,
of fporting guns, of whips, of japan ware, of numerous
works in brafs and Reel, both for ornament and ufe,
and at one time of leather to a confiderable extent.
Birmingham contains a mufeum of natural and arti¬
ficial curiofities, a handfome theatre, rebuilt fince 1791,
feveral churches belonging to the efiablilhment, various
diffenting meeting houtes* and a number of charitable
eftabliflrments. In the neighbourhood of Birmingham
there are three extenfive breweries ; and by means of
canals this place has the advantage of eafy communi¬
cation with almofl every part of the kingdom.
WASH, among diflillers, the fermentable liquor
ufed by malt diflillers. See Brewery.
WASHING, in Painting, is when a defign, drawn
with a pen or crayon, has fome one colour laid over it
with a pencil, as Indian ink, biftre, or the like, to make
it appear the more natural, by adding the ftiadow of
prominences, apertures, &c. and by imitating the par¬
ticular matters whereof the thing is fuppofed to confifl.
1 hus a pale red is employed to imitate brick and
tile •, a pale Indian blue, to imitate w ater and Rate j
green, for trees and meadows j faffron or French berries,
for gold or brafs; and feveral colours for marbles.
IVashiNG of Ores, the feparation of the ores of me¬
tals, by means of water, from earths and Rones, which
would otherwife render it difficult of fufion. See Ores,
ReduBion of.
WASHINGTON, a city of North America, and
now the metropolis of the United States. It is feat-
ed at the junction of the rivers Potomac and the Ea-
Rern Branch, extending about four miles up each, in¬
cluding a tra<ft of territory fcarcely to be exceeded, in
point of convenience, falubrity, and beauty, by any in
the world.^ This territory, which is called Columbia,
lies partly in the Rate of Virginia, and partly in that of
Maryland, and was ceded by thofe two Rates to the U-
nited States of America, and by them eRabliffied to be
the feat of government after the year 1800. It is di¬
vided into fquares or grand diviRons, by flreets running
due north and fouth, and eaR and weft, which form
the ground-work of the plan. However, from the Ca¬
pitol, the prefident’s houfe, and fome of the important
areas in the city, run diagonal ftreets, from one material
(objeift to another, which not only produce a variety of
charming profpeifts, but remove the infipid famenefs
which renders fome other great cities unpleafing. The
great leading ftreets are all 160 feet wide, including a
pavement of 10 feet, and a gravel walk of 30 feet plant¬
ed with trees on each fide, which will leave 80 feet of
paved ftreet ior carriages. The reft of the ftreets are in
general
Wafting
ton.